VANCOUVER, BC, March 6, 2024 /CNW/ - ShaMaran Petroleum Corp. (“ShaMaran” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SNM) (Nasdaq First North: SNM) today released its financial and operating results and related management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023. View PDF

Garrett Soden, President and CEO of ShaMaran, commented: “The Sarsang and Atrush blocks are generating significant cash flow from local sales following the closure of the Iraq-Turkey pipeline last year. We continue to work with our operating partners to increase local sales volumes, improve commercial terms for the oil offtake and maintain a low cost base. The TAQA/HKN transaction announced in January 2024 will almost double our working interest in Atrush when closed, and it will create significant synergies from having the same operator on the adjoining Atrush and Sarsang blocks. We expect local sales to continue for the time being, but we are actively engaging with the relevant parties to resume pipeline exports long-term.”

• The closure of the Iraq-Turkey pipeline (“ITP”) since March 25, 2023, continues to have a material impact on ShaMaran’s operations and financial results. The Company is actively engaging with the relevant parties to resume pipeline exports;
• Production from the Sarsang Block was initially reduced following the ITP closure due to market demand constraints when local sales commenced via trucking in April 2023, but production and sales in 2023 subsequently increased every quarter; and
• Production from the Atrush Block was shut-in following the ITP closure, due to a lack of trucking facilities, until sales started to local refineries in November 2023 at reduced rates via pipeline flow reversal.

• Q4 2023 oil sales to the Kurdistan local market averaged a net back price of $39.77/bbl and generated net revenues to the Company of $20.3 million; net revenues for the full-year 2023 were $82.9 million at an average net back price of $48.87/bbl (including Q1 2023 ITP export sales);
• ShaMaran generated $9.8 million of operating cash flow in Q4 2023 ($40.5 million in operating cash flow during the year) primarily due to the strength of local sales from Sarsang and proactive cost-cutting at both the corporate and operating asset levels; and
• At December 31, 2023, the Company had cash of $71.7 million (including restricted cash of $22.8 million), and gross debt of $293.1 million (including the $277.5 million bond and $15.6 million related-party loan). Net debt was $193 million (including $28.4 million in ShaMaran 2025 bonds held by the Company).

• For 2023, total property gross production was 14.3 MMbbls, and total Company working interest production was 2.9 MMbbls;
• As of December 31, 2023, Atrush has achieved cumulative production of approximately 70.5 MMbbls, and Sarsang has achieved cumulative production of approximately 66.1 MMbbls since development commenced in both fields in 2013;
• The Company’s working interest 2P reserves¹ decreased by 2023 production of 2.9 MMbbls, from 68.3 MMbbls at December 31, 2022, to 65.4 MMbbls at December 31, 2023;
• The Company’s working interest 2C resource² volumes remained constant from 41.5 MMbbls at December 31, 2022, to 41.5 MMbbls at December 31, 2023;
• Sarsang average gross production was 36.4 Mbopd during Q4 2023 and 29.6 Mbopd for the full-year 2023, with current gross production around 38.0 Mbopd; and
• Atrush average gross production was 9.0 Mbopd during Q4 2023 and 9.8 Mbopd for the full-year 2023, with current gross production around 25.0 Mbopd.

• Due to the continued closure of the ITP and the unpredictability of the local sales market in Kurdistan, the Company has not provided production guidance for 2024.

• The Company refers to its news release on January 22, 2024, regarding the signing of definitive agreements with TAQA International B.V., a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (“TAQA”), and HKN Energy IV, Ltd., an affiliate of HKN Energy Ltd. (“HKN”), that upon completion will increase ShaMaran’s indirect ownership in the Atrush Block from 27.6% to 50% working interest. Assuming the transaction had closed on December 31, 2023, ShaMaran’s reserves and resource position would be impacted as follows:
  • Company’s working interest 2P reserves would increase by 28% from 68.3 MMbbls at December 31, 2022, to 87.7 MMbbls as at December 31, 2023; and
  • Company’s working interest 2P reserves replacement ratio³ would be 769%⁴ for 2023.
• On January 23, 2024, the Company announced that it intended to use part of its owned bonds to satisfy the $22.5 million bond amortization amount due in January 2024. These bonds were retired in January 2024, leaving $5.9 million of Company-owned bonds remaining. After the bond amortization and interest payments at the end of January 2024, the Company had gross debt of $271 million and net debt of $200 million (including restricted and unrestricted cash and company-owned bonds), in line with the Company’s news release.

ShaMaran plans to publish its financial statements for the three months ending March 31, 2024, on May 8, 2024. Except as otherwise indicated, all currency amounts indicated as “$” in this news release are expressed in United States dollars.

ShaMaran is a Canadian independent oil and gas company focused on the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The Company indirectly holds an 18% working interest (22.5% paying interest) in the Sarsang Block, and, subject to closing the previously announced transaction, will increase its indirect 27.6% working interest in the Atrush Block to 50%. The Company is listed in Toronto on TSX Venture Exchange and in Stockholm on Nasdaq First North Growth Market (ticker “SNM”). ShaMaran is part of the Lundin Group of Companies.

ShaMaran is obliged to make this information public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out below on March 6, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Company’s certified advisor on Nasdaq First North Growth Market is Arctic Securities AS (Swedish branch), +46 844 68 6100, certifiedadviser@arctic.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or the Company’s future performance, business prospects and opportunities, which are based on assumptions of management.

The use of any of the words “will”, “expected”, “planned” and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company’s current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of certain future events. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, changes in oil prices, results of exploration and development activities, including results, timing and costs of seismic, drilling and development related activity in the Company’s area of operations and, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of funds required to participate in the development activities, or of financing on reasonable terms, availability of materials and equipment on satisfactory terms, outcome of commercial negotiations with government and other regulatory authorities, timeliness of government or other regulatory approvals, actual performance of facilities, availability of third party service providers, equipment and processes relative to specifications and expectations and unanticipated environmental impacts on operations. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information.

Statements relating to “reserves” are also deemed to be forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves can be profitably produced in the future. Actual reserve values may be greater than or less than the estimates provided herein. Unless otherwise noted, reserves referenced herein are given as at December 31, 2023. Also, estimates of reserves for individual properties may not reflect the same confidence level as estimates for all properties due to the effect of aggregation. All required reserve information for the Company is contained in its Form 51-101F1 for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is accessible at www.sedarplus.ca.

With respect to disclosure contained herein regarding resources other than reserves, there is uncertainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the resources, and there is significant uncertainty regarding the ultimate recoverability of such resources.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE ShaMaran Petroleum Corp.